1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mobile terminal, a method of obtaining a web content through the mobile terminal, and a program for causing a computer to carry out the method, and more particularly to a mobile terminal having a function of receiving television and radio broadcast, a method of obtaining a web content through the mobile terminal, and a program for causing a computer to carry out the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
With popularization of Internet, a lot of web sites associated with television programs are open. Television programs are watched through a television set, and web sites are watched by a personal computer and the like through Internet.
Recently, some television sets are designed to have a function of watching web sites through Internet. For instance, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-177532 has suggested a method of displaying a web site on a screen of a television set in association with a television program.
In the suggested method, a television program list including uniform resource locators (URLs) of web sites associated with each of television programs is stored into a memory of a television set. By comparing the television program list to data indicative of a channel a television watcher is now watching, a television program which a television watcher is now watching is identified. Then, the television set automatically makes access to a uniform resource locator (URL) stored in the television program list in association with the identified television program.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-257401 has suggested a method of making access to a web site, based on a uniform resource locator (URL) displayed on a screen of a television set, without necessity for a user to memorize or make a note of the uniform resource locator.
In the suggested method, an image signal obtained from a television circuit and including data indicative of a uniform resource locator is digitized, and then, the thus digitized signal is stored in a memory as digital image data. Then, characters are extracted out of the digital image data. A series of characters including a predetermined word such as “http:” is extracted as uniform resource locator (URL) data. A television set makes access to a web site having the extracted uniform resource locator (URL), through Internet.
However, the firstly mentioned method is accompanied with a problem that it is necessary to incorporate URL data into the television program list, and store the television program list into a memory.
The secondly mentioned method is accompanied with a problem that URL data is necessary to be incorporated into image signals transmitted from an external device.
Some mobile phone terminals are designed to have a function of receiving television programs. However, only when a user watches a document including URL link data, those mobile phone terminals can make access to a web site identified by the URL link data while other function of the mobile phone terminals is in operation. If a user does not watch such a document as mentioned above, a user has to stop a currently operating function, and input an address of a uniform resource locator into his/her mobile phone terminal.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-145687 has suggested an apparatus for making communication with network, including first means for making communication with network, second means for transmitting image signals, third means for reading network address information out of image signals transmitted from the second means, and fourth means for analyzing the network address information, and selecting network to which an access is made.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-154131 has suggested a method of establishing communication between a television set and a browser, including the steps of, if images of a television program include a URL address of a WWW server, reading the URL address, and starting up a browser for displaying a homepage identified with the URL address.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-4416 has suggested a television set which reads URL address data out of a television program, making a list of URL addresses, and making access to a URL address selected in the URL address list.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-218346 has suggested a communication device having functions of receiving a television program and making access to a communication network, including first means for transmitting an instruction to make access to a network, second means for storing a time at which the instruction was transmitted and getting the number of a television-broadcast channel selected at that time, third means for extracting address data, based on the time and the number, and fourth means for making access to a network through the extracted address data.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-215512 has suggested a system for distributing URL data associated with a television program, including a domestic gateway device for reading data about a television-broadcast channel which a user is now selecting, and a server for distributing URL data of contents associated with the television-broadcast channel, to the user.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-108751 has suggested a system for watching data, including first means for watching a web page through a network, second means for reading out predetermined data included in the web page, third means for converting the read-out data into image data to be displayed in a television monitor, and fourth means for outputting the image data to the television monitor.